The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced that Alex Oh has been appointed Director of the Division of Enforcement. The Division of Enforcement is the largest within the SEC.
Until her appointment, Oh was a partner at the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. She was previously an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where she was a member of the Securities & Commodities Fraud Task Force and the Major Crimes Unit.
While at Paul, Weiss, she was co-chair of the Anti-Corruption & FCPA Practice Group, and had an extensive white-collar defense and regulatory investigations practice focusing on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, as well as on securities and accounting fraud issues. Oh has also conducted cross-border internal investigations for multinational corporations.
Oh issued a statement saying she is excited to join the Division:
“The Enforcement Division plays a critical role in protecting investors and maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets, essential components of the SEC’s mission. I am committed to working tirelessly to uncover and prosecute violations of the law, whether by businesses or their leaders, so that we can keep American capital markets the strongest in the world.”
The new Chairman of the Commission Gary Gensler commented on the selection:
“Our capital markets – and the broader economy – thrive when there are clear rules of the road and a cop on the beat to enforce them. Alex brings to the role of Director the right combination of values and experience to vigorously root out wrongdoing in our markets. With her work as a prosecutor, pro bono experience, and time in private practice, she has the expertise as a highly respected lawyer to ensure that the SEC protects investors. I thank Melissa Hodgman and Kelly Gibson for their leadership of the Enforcement Division over the last few months and look forward to continuing to work with them and the broader enforcement team.”
Oh is said to have pursued an extensive pro bono practice and has litigated voting rights cases and constitutional challenges to voter registration and identification laws. Oh earned a J.D. from Yale Law School and a B.A. from Williams College.
